Hooooooold
by Ignorant Sparrow
Summary: what's up with the chief!


Korra got to admit, it was weird. Chief Beifong has not been herself for a week. She has not made one snide remark, she has not snapped at anyone, she has not scolded, not yelled, not scowled, not fumed or even glared at anyone for one whole week. More surprisingly, she played fetch with Naga just once when Korra insisted, petted Pabu for a minute when he kept nudging her, let Meelo climb all the way up to her shoulders before 'not' abrasively setting him down, smiled at one of Bumi's stupid jokes, corrected Bolin's hopeless metal bending stance without telling him off, gave Mako two days off without fussing about it, did not run away when Tenzin forced Rohan in to her arms, let Kya do her hair two times, and even engaged in a civilized conversation with Pema.

This was driving Korra mad. Chief cranky pants was like a whole different person. So she decided to test her luck and push it. Korra found Lin sitting in her office one evening; well pass her shift, doing some paperwork which could obviously wait for another two, three weeks.

"Hey chief!" Korra greeted, hopping in to the office.

"Hello Avatar" Lin said looking up and 'not' wrinkling her forehead. "What brings you here?"

Korra scratched the back of her neck while smiling sheepishly. "See, there is this fun fare at the downtown station and everyone else is busy." She babbled. "So, may be you can go with me, you know I'm not taking any white lotus guards with me"

Lin inhaled sharply but quickly recovered. "See Korra, I'm very busy with some paperwork." She said without snapping. "Why don't you take Mako and Bolin? Mako is a police officer; he can back you up if needed." She said as friendly as she could.

Korra, who was expecting a big time 'get out of my office and stop bugging me', was once again shocked. "Mako is on leave, remember?" She said, been brave enough to airbend herself behind chief's chair and pull her up. "Bolin's got metal bending practice, Asami is on a business meeting, Tenzin is teaching the kids. Sorry chief, it's just us."

Lin counted to five and managed a deep breath. "Korra, I cannot-" She stuttered doing her best 'not' to shoo the teenager away.

"Of course you can" Korra assured. "Hey Saikhan, I'm dragging the chief out, Keep an eye on the station!" She shouted as the y passed the ex-chief. Lin bit her bottom lip hard for 30 seconds before speaking. "You just can't-"

"Of course I can" Korra bragged, assured by Lin's lack of abrasive responses, as anticipated. "Come on chief, it's just one fare. We'll have fun." She pushed Lin on to Oggie's sandal and without delay, took off.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It was almost sundown when Oggie landed on the air temple island and a very pale Lin and Korra, with a mixture of confusion and triumph in her face, got off Oggie. Korra had dragged Lin to every roller coaster, every ridiculously childish game, and every ice cream mobile and even to a tribal dancing in the fare and hadn't still managed to crack a single scowl from the Chief.

Meelo and Ikki ran towards them calling dibbs on the stuffed animals loaded in to Lin's arms. Lin managed a small smile and handed them to the two kids. "There, Now Good night Avatar!" She said turning to Korra.

"You are not going anywhere yet." Korra said, grabbing Lin from the shoulders and turning her back around to the temple. We are having dinner with the rest, and got Jinora's got Kai problems on which she needs your advice."

Lin turned from pale to white. "I-" She mumbled, only to be interrupted by Bumi, Tenzin, and Kya. Bumi came running from the hill side, apparently chasing BumJun, holding a little and frilly dress. "I knitted a one with frills this time but he still wouldn't let me try it on him" He whined. "Linny, may be you can talk to him…"

"Hello Lin!" Tenzin greeted, slightly frowning at Bumi. "It's wonderful that you came. We are having a traditional water tribe dinner tonight. You must stay. You'll love the new recipe of seaweed. Pema invented it."

Lin took in shallow breaths trying as politely as she could to shake Bumi and Bumjun off her two hands, slightly wincing at the mentioning of seaweed.

"That's wonderful, but I really can't-" She stuttered again.

"Come on Lin!" Kya sang. "You'd love it. And you've been doing wonderful for a week. I think you can pull it off for another month"

Everyone on the courtyard averted their eyes on to Kya questioning her strange comment, but quickly jolted back to Lin as she opened her mouth.

This time no stutter came out of the esteemed chief. She just spited up blood on to Kya's tunic front. Once, twice and thice. She slowly got to her knees and breathed liberally as others huddled around.

"Are you alright Lin?" Tenzin howled shaking her frantically. "Kya do something!"

"Linny!" Bumi almost cried pushing Tenzin aside. "Give her some space Tenzin!"

"Chief?! Can you walk?" Korra quipped, gently pulling Lin up. "We need to get you inside and Kya can take a look."

Lin simply coughed another mouthful of blood and blindly groped until she got a hold on Kya's tunic. Once she found Kya, Lin dragged her down. "I am done! Fix me now".

Kya let herself sigh. "You are right. It's killing you. Let's go in. You are gonna need a lot of rest and bed time Lin."

"Killing! What are you talking about? " Tenzin cried turning to Kya, helping Lin to stand up. "What's wrong with her?"

I made Lin keep her opinion to herself to see how pleasant it is for her and others around her. Though it started off great, she has apparently developed stomach ulcer. Lin's inner voice has grown more sarcastic and downright demonic until, well my suggestion to keep her act up for another month."

"Damn right you are!" Lin spat blood again.

"It's a peptic ulcer, brought on by all her bottled-up stress" Kya explained as if she didn't hear the familiar grump. "She'll be alright with a little healing, lot of rest, and a barrage of classic Beifong belly-aching."


End file.
